By Megan Guza
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
PITTSBURGH 鈥� Mark Bocian was a policy guy and rule-follower who held the medics who served under him to high standards 鈥� the definition of 鈥渂y the book,鈥� friends and family said.
But he could bend the book, too.
鈥淗e鈥檇 never admit to that, though,鈥� said Ron Romano, a former EMS chief who spent decades working alongside Mr. Bocian with Pittsburgh emergency services until his own retirement in 2022.
| DOWNLOAD: What paramedics want in 2025
Crows鈥� feet were one example.
鈥淵ou have some people, when they鈥檙e overseeing people, they want to discipline every little thing,鈥� Mr. Romano said.
But Mr. Bocian gave out warnings 鈥� 鈥渃rows鈥� feet,鈥� he called them. Three crows鈥� feet and you鈥檇 get written up. No one could quite recall why, exactly, they were called crow鈥檚 feet. But that鈥檚 what they were, friends said, and they summed up that wry part of the former chief鈥檚 by-the-book personality that was willing to bend.
Mr. Bocian, who spent more than 40 years with Pittsburgh EMS, including five as chief, died July 22 after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 72.
He began his career in Pittsburgh as an emergency medical technician in 1975, just a few months after the city鈥檚 EMS bureau was created.
He was a rising star from the start, said Jim Holman, a retired division chief who was part of the inaugural class of medics that began a few months before Mr. Bocian came on board. He started as a paramedic at the Medic 3 station in the city鈥檚 West End, but his 鈥渃alm, cool, and collected attitude toward things鈥� meant he moved up the ranks quickly, Mr. Holman said.
Along the way, he served in just about every role within emergency services 鈥� crew chief, district chief, assistant chief 鈥� and as the first president of what was then the newly formed Fraternal Association of Professional Paramedics.
And he became a mentor, said Deputy EMS Chief Jeffrey Tremel.
Chief Tremel would eventually become president of the union himself, and he recalled Mr. Bocian once telling him, 鈥淛eff, there are things I can鈥檛 tell you, but I will never lie to you.鈥� Chief Tremel said those words stuck with him, and he quoted the remark in an essay he had to write when he applied to become a district chief.
鈥淚 had all respect for him,鈥� he said.
Mr. Bocian was named acting EMS chief in 2012 and confirmed by city council in late 2014. He retired from Pittsburgh鈥檚 EMS bureau in 2016.
鈥淎s with most careers, it is always the people that you meet and befriend that are important,鈥� Mr. Bocian said in announcing his retirement. 鈥淎nd I have had the privilege to be surrounded by and work with some of the best. They will be missed.鈥�
Friends and colleagues reflected that sentiment back onto the career EMT and avid fisherman nearly a decade later.
鈥淚鈥檓 a better man for having known him,鈥� Mr. Holman said.
Mr. Bocian introduced him to fishing in the 1980s, and the pair spent decades traveling together for fishing trips. Their sons and, eventually, Mr. Bocian鈥檚 grandson would join them. A favorite spot was in rural Potter County 鈥� God鈥檚 country, Mr. Holman called it.
He recalled one trip where a mishap left a fishing hook stuck in Mr. Bocian鈥檚 scalp. Carefully, his fellow paramedic, Mr. Holman, clipped the line and removed the hook.
鈥淗e said, 鈥楤oy, I鈥檓 glad you鈥檙e here,鈥欌�� Mr. Holman recalled. 鈥淚 said, 鈥榃hy is that, Mark?鈥� He said, 鈥業鈥檇 have had to fish the rest of the day with that lure hanging out of the back of my head.鈥欌��
That was Mr. Bocian, he said 鈥� for as by-the-book as he was, he was constantly joking and teasing just about everyone around him. He once sent his niece, who鈥檚 a bit squeamish about animals, a stuffed squirrel for her birthday. She鈥檇 send him a fruit basket 鈥� pears, specifically, because he hated them.
鈥淢ark was the funniest ... happiest, go-luckiest type of guy,鈥� Mr. Holman said. 鈥淗e was always the one to say, 鈥楬ey, relax, it鈥檚 going to be OK.鈥欌��
Mr. Romano recalled the same.
鈥淲e [worked with] these two guys who, let鈥檚 say, they didn鈥檛 do a lot of work,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ne weekend, I鈥檓 ranting and raving about how they leave us all this work. [ Mr. Bocian ] said, 鈥楻elax 鈥� they make us look good.鈥欌��
He liked good wine and playing tricks, though they were never malicious, friends said. He loved to spend time outdoors, liked to go to casinos, and enjoyed cruises 鈥� in fact, he went from one cruise directly to another earlier this year, just to stay out of the harsh Pittsburgh winter.
Mr. Romano and Chief Tremel said they often called Mr. Bocian even after he鈥檇 retired, looking to pick his brain or get advice. Mr. Romano called him a good leader and good friend who will be deeply missed.
鈥淗e was 鈥楥hief Bocian,鈥欌�� said Chief Tremel. 鈥淏ut he was also 鈥楳ark Bocian.鈥欌��
Mr. Bocian is survived by his wife of 50 years, Chris; siblings Mike Bocian and wife Debbie, of Pittsburgh; Tim Bocian and wife Amy, of Grove City; and Bonnie Breit and husband Albert, of Pittsburgh; and children Matt Bocian, of Pittsburgh; Brian Bocian and wife Maria, of Butler; and Keith Bocian and wife Sarah, of Delaware County.
漏 2025 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Visit .
Distributed by
